Updated 4:30 p.m. June 10:
The National Weather Service in Houston announced a heat advisory on June 10 in effect for June 11, with the heat index—a measure of discomfort the average person might feel when combining heat and humidity—expected to peak around 106-110 degrees.
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Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo held a press event on the same day to highlight summer weather concerns including increased heat, potential hurricanes and power outages. Hidalgo stressed the work the county has done with state agencies such as ERCOT and power companies such as CenterPoint to prepare for extreme weather.
“We are better prepared than ever before,” Hidalgo said.
The judge said all of Harris County’s public libraries would be open as cooling centers over the June 10 weekend, and that the county was working with homeless shelters to ensure people had places to cool off.
Hidalgo also recommended residents to follow advisories from the Electric Reliability Council of Texas on power conservation, and for owners of generators to make sure they are fueled. ERCOT’s dashboards monitoring the state’s power conditions can be found on their website.
Other Houston-area county judges, such as Montgomery County’s Mark Keough, Fort Bend County’s KP George, and Galveston County’s Mark Henry, shared messages on social media urging caution in extreme heat.
“With high temperatures hitting 100 this weekend and the heat indexes even higher please stay cool and hydrated. Should you have to be outside understanding the signs and symptoms of heat exhaustion and heat stroke are vital to getting the proper care fast,” Keough wrote on Facebook.
The NWS recommends limiting time outdoors, especially in the afternoon, drinking water to stay hydrated, checking in on elderly neighbors, and making sure children and animals are not left inside cars.
